Hairbond | Shaper

It's exciting to continue the journey of dabbling in a new realm of products. Although Hairbond's aesthetics and it's products fall into the Salon line, I wanted to be a bit more open and see what the hype is about and understand what the market has available.

Of the 7 products in their line, I wanted to start with the strongest product they had to offer, which was the Hairbond Shaper. This is advertised to give "your hair a stable hold that will last throughout the day."

Design

Clear, transparent, and orange/yellow hues. Fairly straightforward presentation. Everything is printed on the jar, making the overall feel of Shaper very clean. It's a bit hard to read because of the transparency.

Sticky and thick like pancake syrup. It's got a good grip when you rub it on your palms, but enough wetness to do so easily. Creamy overall with no fibers or chunks.

Application

The directions say to apply it on dry hair. I was a bit skeptical because the product itself isn't THAT wet of a product, meaning there'd be tugging or pulling similar to an oil based product. Once I started applying, the entire process was smooth and painless. Even combing it through was not a problem at all.

Shine

It's advertised to have a wet look, meaning there's a bit of shine to it. It's a dull shine, but it's not overwhelmingly greasy of a shine.

Slickness

Like with many style creams, you do not get slickness because the natural, matte look is what is desired with these products. However, with Hairbond Shaper, you achieve a small amount of slickness. As the day goes on, you do lose the slickness, and that "natural" look begins to appear (in the form of frizziness and looseness in your hair).

Strength

A 5 out of 5 would qualify as a strong hold. I'd compare this to the 19|Fifties Union Matte Clay in terms of strength. It doesn't have that gritty texture to it, but Hairbond Shaper does do well with my heavy, wavy hair.

Control

Starts out wonderful, but as the day goes on, you lose a bit of it. 100% to about 75% or less, given what your day looks like.

Endurance

Fared well throughout the day. As I mentioned, you do lose a bit of it's initial strength as the day progresses, but it provides enough endurance for a solid portion of the day.

Restyling

The more you restyle, the more and more you lose slickness. The hold is still there, but it becomes a fraction of what you had initially. It's still surprising to see a cream hold out for this long throughout the day though and still be able to restyle (I went for a finger-combed pull back).

Hardness

No hardness at all. Dryness? A bit, but nothing dramatic as other creams or waxes. My guess is that the oil in the product prevents this.

Rinsing

Washes out completely in one shower. Definitely have to wash a bit more deep, but one solid shower gets it off.

Conclusion

Hairbond Shaper. I'm impressed. As a cream, it definitely has surprised me with its ability to hold my hair throughout the day. And well at that too. Its sweet, toffee fragrance is soft and pleasant, and its flexibility and slickness throughout the day offers a variety of usage for whatever situation I'm in.

I'm glad I got to try this product out. I had my doubts with waxes and creams, since they give out in a short period of time. With the test of Challenger Blue Matte Styling Cream and now Hairbond Shaper, I'm excited to see what else this market has to offer.